


Family Affair

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Episode Tag, Episode: s01e22 What Kind of Day Has It Been, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2000-09-03
Updated: 2000-09-03
Packaged: 2019-05-15 16:37:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14794133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: The First Family tries to deal with the emotion trauma causes by the shooting.





	1. Family Affair

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

(This is my first attempt at fanfiction. I've been inspired by some of the great - and not-so-great - stories at this site. So I hope you like this. And if not, tell me that too. But, either way, let me know what you think. Donna) (An original "West Wing" fiction. The name "The West Wing" and all characters related to "The West Wing" are properties of Aaron Sorkin, NBC, et al. No profit is being derived by the author, nor is this an attempt at infringement on the part of the author.)

It all happened so fast.

Zoe had just left the Newseum after watching her father finish up at the town hall meeting. What's more, she was thrilled that her father had elected to use part of Charlie's essay in his closing speech. She didn't notice Gina's hesitation behind her. As a Secret Service Agent, Gina frequently made brief stops to check out the lay of the land. Zoe was about to congratulate Charlie once again when Gina yelled, "Gun!"

Then all hell broke loose.

Gina turned and tackled Zoe as the first of the gunshots rang out. At the same moment, Charlie had turned - ostensibly to protect Zoe - but collapsed under the weight of both of the women. Zoe could scarcely catch her breath when Gina screamed in her ear, "Stay down! Stay down!" Zoe could hear shots flying above her head and all around she could hear screaming and the sounds of bullets hitting metal, concrete and, she feared, flesh and bone. She knew Charlie was under her, but in the confusion, she had lost sight of her father and the rest of the senior staff.

Everything was happening so fast.

Zoe went from believing she was dreaming to knowing she was in some kind of surrealistic nightmare. Then, just as quickly as it started, the shooting stopped. There was silence except for the wail of sirens in the night, the screaming and moaning of the injured and the calls of the Secret Service, "Who's hit? Who's down? Who's down?"

Charlie began squirming under her. "Get off me. Zoey, move, please."

Gina spoke into her mike to indicate that Zoe and Charlie were safe under her protection. She began extracting Zoe from on top of Charlie. Zoe asked, "Is my dad okay? Where's my dad?"

Gina replied, "The other agents have him." She didn't know if the President was dead or alive, but for the moment, she had to keep Zoe calm and safe. "Zoey, we've got to get you out of here."

"Okay." She looked down and saw her blouse was covered with blood.. "Oh my God."

Gina noticed it too. "Zoey! Are you hit?" She began patting the girl down for injuries. "Where are you hurt?"

"I'm okay, I think." She looked over at Charlie, who had managed to sit up against the car. "Charlie?"

"I think I've been shot." He clutched his left shoulder with his other hand. He was trembling and his normally chocolate colored skin was ashen.

"Charlie!" Zoey screamed. "Oh God! Oh God, Charlie!" She turned frantically to Gina. "Help him! Please do something!"

Gina had already called for assistance. Upon receiving confirmation that paramedics were responding, she also received another order from the agent-in-charge. "Get the First Daughter out of there! Now!"

Gina knew this wasn't going to be easy. "Zoey, we have to go. Right now."

"No! I'm not leaving Charlie!"

"Help is on its way. Zoey, we have to get out of here!"

"No!"

Gina was tempted to disobey her orders. She had witnessed firsthand much the two young people had grown to care for each other. And she genuinely liked Charlie. But Gina also knew that her first and foremost responsibility was the safety of Zoe Bartlet. Gina turned to Charlie, her eyes pleading with him for understanding, for help.

The pain in his shoulder was excruciating. Charlie felt his vision clouding and had a fleeting thought of wondering if this is what his mother went through before she died. He dismissed that thought and tried to focus on the situation at hand. Zoey seemed to be arguing with Gina about leaving him and Gina appeared to be torn. She tried to tell Zoey that help was on its way for him, but there was no budging the girl.

Charlie clutched his girlfriend's hand. "I'll be okay," he whispered hoarsely. "Go."

Zoe began to cry. "No! I won't leave you!"

Charlie reached up and touched Zoey's cheek. "You have to go."

"You're hurt! I'm not leaving!"

As touched as he was by Zoey's loyalty, somewhere in the foggy recesses of his mind, he remembered his duty and his responsibilities. Charlie knew that Gina was prepared to die for Zoe. But he also knew that she was physically prepared to haul Zoe's ass away at any second. And he also knew that if anything ever happened to Zoe because of him, he could never face her father. And he would never forgive himself.

He looked to Gina and he made up his mind. He released Zoe's hand. "Go. Get her out of here." He waved his arm at them both. "Go, please."

Gina nodded and began dragging Zoe away from Charlie.

"No!" Zoe screamed. "What are you doing? I won't leave! Let me go!"

Gina didn't say a word. She yanked Zoe up and pushed/pulled her into the Presidential limo.

"Charlie! Charlie!"

Charlie heard Zoey's cries ringing in his ears. He watched the limo pull off. Breathing heavily, he saw the paramedics rushing toward him. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Inside the limo, President Josiah Bartlet held on to his daughter for dear life. He watched Gina scuffle with Zoe to get her into the limo, all the while screaming for her boyfriend. Bartlet had learned from his detail that the young man had been shot and that Zoe had been reluctant to leave his side. When the door closed and the limo pulled off, Zoe had collapsed into her father's arms and buried her head into his chest and sobbed.

"Thank God you're all right, sweetheart." And though his concern for his aide was genuine, he was more concerned about his daughter. When the first shot rang out, he was immediately covered by five or six Secret Service agents and shoved into the limo. In the ensuing minutes during and following the gun battle, Bartlet wanted nothing more than to jump out of the vehicle and drag his daughter into his arms to save her from certain death. Then he would do the same for Charlie, Leo, C.J., Josh, Toby and Sam. But he knew that it would never happen that way. As it was, the only thing he could do was pray, curse, then bargain with god that he would do anything, give anything - even his own life - if God would just keep everyone alive through this nightmare. And he pleaded with God to keep Zoey safe, because he knew that no matter how devastating it would be to him if something happened to his baby girl, it was nothing compared to the absolute dread of knowing he would have to look his wife in the eye and see her heart and soul shatter into a million pieces.

Bartlet saw the blood covering Zoe and knew it was Charlie's. He could only whisper a prayer of thanks, mingled with one of supplication on Charlie's behalf and that of the other staff. He could only imagine the pain and terror his daughter was feeling, but he knew it mirrored his own.

Thinking of Charlie, Bartlet knew he had to find out about his people. He turned to Ron, Secret Service agent-in-charge of his detail. "What about my staff? Leo, C.J. and the others? Were there any casualties?"

"Reports are sketchy, Mr. President. Mr. McGarry was down by an agent and suffered a mild concussion and some bruised ribs."

He let out a deep sigh. His best friend and Chief of Staff was safe. "The others?"

"Ms. Cregg, Mr. Ziegler and Mr. Seaborne are also accounted for, minor cuts and bruises. A couple of sprains, but nothing too serious. They should be arriving at the West Wing shortly."

Bartlet did a mental count. That meant C.J., Toby and Sam were all accounted for. "What about Josh?"

Ron paused. "Mr. Lyman was hit in the back. We don't know how serious."

"Damn." That only left Charlie. He didn't want to talk about him yet. "Anyone else?"

"Yes, sir. One agent and two civilians are dead. We've got at least a dozen more wounded. Conditions unknown."

Bartlet knew that Charlie was one of the wounded with 'conditions unknown.' He would wait to learn more once he got Zoe home and under her mother's care. Whatever happened, he was counting on Abby to help their daughter through this time. And he also knew Abby could explain in layman's terms whatever medical jargon the doctors threw at him and his staff.

Zoe's muffled sobs had subsided as the limo pulled up to the White House. As the entourage emerged from the vehicle, Bartlet noticed that as Gina tried to guide Zoe into the building, she flinched at the agent's touch. She huddled against her father, not wanting anyone near her. He headed for the Oval Office, only giving his secretary, Mrs. Landingham, a cursory nod. They went into the Oval Office and shut the door.

As the door to the Oval Office swung open, Abigail Bartlet stood waiting. Zoe left her father's side and ran into her mother's waiting arms, setting off a new wave of tears. Jed took his wife's hand and kissed her on the forehead, grateful for her mere presence. He answered his wife's questioning gaze with two words: "I'm fine."

Abby nodded, knowing she would have time later to give her husband the once over. Right now, she needed to deal with her daughter. She pushed Zoe away from her and looked her over. "Are you all right, Zoey? Are you hurt?"

"No, Mom. I'm okay. But Charlie - "

"Charlie will be all right." She spoke for both Zoey's and Jed's benefit. "I've spoken to the hospital. He's in surgery, but he's stable. And Dr. McFadden is the best there is. So far, there doesn't seem to be any major internal damage. The bullet shattered some bone and there could be some nerve damage from the blood loss, but he's young and strong and he's going to recover."

"Can I see him?"

"Not tonight. When he comes out of surgery, he'll head to recovery then he'll be sent to his room. He's going to sleep through the night. He should be up to receiving visitors in the morning." Abby looked at her daughter once more. The doctor in her took over. Zoe's eyes were dilated and he was extremely pale and cold to the touch. The girl was in shock. She lightened her tone. "Besides, you can't have him seeing you like this. You'll scare him half to death."

Zoe looked down at herself and stifled a laugh. "I must look terrible."

Abby's eyes softened. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." She smiled. "You, my dear, are going to head upstairs right now for a hot shower, something to eat and bed. I'm also going to give you a mild sedative to help you sleep."

As Jed watched his wife's ministrations on their daughter, he silently blessed her for her grace under fire. She stood at the ready, his rock in this storm. He never loved her more than he did at that moment.

At that moment, the door to the Oval Office opened and Leo entered, followed by Ron and Gina. Leo was moving rather stiffly, suffering from the effects of being shoved to the ground and having his ribs bandaged up.

"Leo!" Abby exclaimed. "What are you doing here? You should be in bed." She went over and kissed the man on the cheek, and gave him a quick hug. As she did so, she mouthed a silent "Thank you" to both Ron and Gina. They acknowledged her thanks with a barely imperceptible nod.

"I know." Leo answered. He turned to his friend and said, "Mr. President, Zoey. I'm glad to know you're both okay."

Jed squelched the urge to run and give his friend a big bear hug. Instead he said, "Glad to see you up and walking, Leo."

"Thank you sir. It's good to be seen." He turned to Abby. "I hate to do this, but - "

"I know, Leo." Abby smiled. She turned to Gina. "Would you please escort my daughter up to the residence and see that she gets cleaned up?"

"I'm not going anywhere with her," Zoey said.

"What?"

"I'm not going with her."

"Zoey." Jed's tone was soft, but it held a slight edge to it.

"How could you do that?" Zoey asked. She crossed the room and stood three feet in front of the agent.

"Do what?" Gina asked

Zoey was furious. Her eyes blazing, she stated, "You left him. You left Charlie there to die! How could you do that?"

"Zoey, I had to do my job."

"Does doing your job mean leaving an innocent person to die?"

"Zoe." Jed's tone was harsher this time.

"I thought you were supposed to be a Marine!"

"Zoey!" Abby was horrified.

Zoe continued on, oblivious to her parents' warnings. "Whatever happened to never leaving a man down, huh? Why did you leave him there to die?"

"That's enough!" Abby was enraged at her daughter. "She saved your life!"

"She left Charlie to die, Mom! She left him there - "

"And if she hadn't…God, Zoey, I can't…I don't…" She couldn't finish.

Gina finally spoke. "I'm sorry, Zoey."

"Don't." It was Jed who spoke this time. And he was furious. "Don't you dare apologize for doing your job. You saved a lot of lives tonight, not the least of which was that of my apparently ungrateful daughter. And no matter how upset she is, she has no right to speak to you in that manner."

"Daddy!"

"NO RIGHT!" Jed exploded. He turned to his daughter. "You almost DIED tonight! She saved your life! And as much as I care for Charlie and Leo and everyone else out there, the moment I heard those shots, I didn't give a DAMN about Charlie, or Leo, or CJ! Only you! And if I could, I would have done anything - ANYTHING - to get to you and I would have killed anyone who got in my way!"

He pointed to Gina. "She would have taken a bullet for you! She was willing to sacrifice her life for you! That's her JOB!! Don't you ever - EVER - speak to her like that again!! EVER!!!"

He turned his back to everyone, placing his hands on his desk. Suddenly, all the rage that had been building up in him boiled over. He promptly picked up a glass paperweight and threw it against the nearest wall. It shattered, leaving glass all over the floor and a slight impression where it had made contact. Jed stood there, head bowed, his shoulders shaking.

At the sound of the shattering glass, several agents rushed through the Oval Office door, guns drawn, followed by Mrs. Landingham, Leo's secretary, Margaret, Sam, C.J., Mandy and a limping Toby. Everyone had heard Zoey and the President yelling, but when they went inside, no one knew what to make of the sight. They all stood unsure of what to do.

Abby rushed over to her husband and placed her hands on his shoulders. Ron motioned for the agents to stand down and leave the room. Leo then broke the silence. "Ron, why don't you take Gina to your office and begin the debrief. In the meantime, I'm sure another agent can be spared to escort Miss Bartlet to the residence."

"Yes, sir." Ron spoke into his com mike and led Gina out of the room.

For her part, Zoey was frozen. She had rarely seen her father lose his composure, and never to the extent that she had just witnessed. She was frightened.

Leo walked over to the stunned girl and placed his hand on her arm. "C'mon, Zoey. Why don't you head up to the residence?" Leo's voice seemed to break through Zoe's fright. She nodded and turned and walked away. When she got to the door, she turned back to her parents. "Daddy?" she asked meekly.

Abby turned to her daughter, tears forming in her eyes. She mouthed the word, "Go," and Zoey did just that.

Leo turned to the equally stunned staff. "Let's go."

Sam said, "But Leo, the press - "

"Not now, Sam." Leo's tone and expression indicated that there would be no further discussion. Silently the staff filed out, Leo bringing up the rear and closing the door behind him.

Alone in the Oval Office, Abby spoke. "Jed?"

In that moment, Josiah Bartlet looked into his wife's eyes. All the rage, anger and frustration that was in him had exploded in one cataclysmic moment. And then it was gone. But the fear remained. He knew that only she could understand that. Only she knew the terror that would haunt him for days, weeks and months to come. Only she understood his pain, his outrage.

And with that understanding, Josiah Bartlet knew that even though he was standing in the seat of power, he was no longer the President of the United States or leader of the free world. He was simply Jed Bartlet - husband, father, friend - and he had come dangerously close being none of those things.

"My God, Abby. We came so close to losing her. Everyone. I was so afraid…"

And as Abby held him, her salty tears finally released from the dam of self-control she had imposed on herself, she let him be all those things. Because she wasn't just the First Lady, she was his wife, his friend, his lover. And she was a mother who had almost lost her youngest daughter. She felt his wracking sobs and was surprised that they nearly matched her own. They held each other for what seemed an eternity, neither one willing to let go.

After about ten minutes, the sobs subsided, and Jed unwillingly released Abby from his grasp. He knew there was work to be done and the nation was counting on his leadership. He smiled at his wife's tear-stained face, knowing full well that his looked the same way. Abby took a couple of tissues from his desk and began cleaning both of their faces.

There was a soft rapping at the door and Mrs. Landingham stuck her head in. "Mr. President?"

"Give us a minute, Mrs. Landingham, then send everyone in. And I'll expect you to join us as well."

"Yes, sir," she replied and closed the door.

Abby gave Jed a brief kiss and squeezed his hand. "Time to get to work, Mr. President." She smiled. "I'll take care of Zoey. You take care of the country." She released his grip and walked out the door.

To be continued….

 


	2. Family Affair 2

# A FAMILY AFFAIR, PART 2

 

President Bartlet was drinking a tall glass of ice water when he heard the soft tapping at the door. "Come in," he yelled.

The staff came in: Leo, who seemed even more stiff than before; followed by Mandy, whose nervousness only made her complexion more pale, and Sam, with a bandage over his left eye. C. J. was next, her left wrist wrapped in an ace bandage. Jed noticed an ugly purple bruise on the left side of her face; someone had mentioned that she had been tackled by an agent during the shooting. Toby came limping behind her. He had found a cane and was favoring his left knee. Mrs. Landingham had brought up the rear, seemingly completely unrattled by the day’s events. Each one took a seat; no one spoke.

Jed looked across at his staff, his stomach churning, noting the absences of his Deputy Chief of Staff and his personal assistant. The tension in the air was so thick, you could bounce a quarter off of it. Everyone looked like they were ready to jump out of their skin or shatter into a million pieces. His normally unflappable staff were like children that needed to be comforted after a thunderstorm; hell, he wished he could crawl up under a blanket and make it all go away. But that was not the case. He needed them, now more than ever. And he knew they were counting on him to see them through this. 

Finally, he broke the silence. "Hell of a night, people. Who knew your life could change so completely in just - ," he looked at his watch, "two hours."

"None of this seems real," Mandy said.

"It’s real all right," Sam said. "It’s a good thing that I wore my clean underwear tonight. Which, by the way, is no longer clean."

"I certainly hope you changed before you sat down," Toby deadpanned.

That broke the room up into laughter. Leave it to Sam to bring in the comic relief, with Toby as the perfect straight man. 

Jed joined in the laughter, relief washing over his soul. It was good that they could laugh. But it faded and he sobered quickly and said, "Thank God for laughter. And I thank God for all of you."

As people wiped their eyes, the President continued.  "I don’t know how much you heard of what went on in here a while ago."

Leo interrupted. "Sir, you don’t have to explain…"

"Yes, I do, Leo." Jed walked over to the small credenza across from his desk and picked up a tray with a bottle of brandy and a bottle of grape juice along with several shot glasses. He brought this over to the small table in the center of the room. He paused, collecting his thoughts.

As he spoke, he began pouring each of them a glass of brandy. "I said some pretty harsh things to my daughter tonight. And later, I will apologize to her, not for what I said, but how I said it." He handed the grape juice to Leo.

"I was scared people. And I was angry. It galls me that in this day and age, there are still psychos out there who have nothing else better to do with their lives than to try and destroy innocent lives, simply because they don’t like the way someone looks. And maybe that wasn’t their motivation, but I’m sure we’re all thinking that. So I’ll be the first to say it out loud. Charlie and Josh were shot, all of you were injured, and people died tonight because of racial hatred.

"I’m terrified because someone took a shot at me and my daughter and all of you. I’m angry because I look at my daughter and I know she is afraid of losing someone she’s very close to and she was willing to protect that person regardless of the danger to herself. She shouldn’t have had to do that.

"As President, I accept certain risks that are inherent to the job. That’s why the Secret Service is there. And I also know that my wife and my children also become targets by association. 

"What I can’t accept is that you good people have also become targets by association. The only think I have ever asked of you, any of you, is that you do your jobs and to them well. And you have, without question. I’m grateful for that. But here’s the thing. You’re not just employees to me. You are all extensions of my family. And when you hurt, I hurt. And when I heard those bullets, I would have given anything to be able to shield you all from them.

"But I couldn’t. I had to wait. And worry. And pray. And next to my daughter, my most immediate concern was for all of you. And I was rewarded with the knowledge that you had all survived, this night at least. But our family is not complete. Josh and Charlie lie in the hospital, fighting for their lives. We can only pray for their speedy recovery and look forward to the day that they will be able to join us once again."

Jed picked up his glass and the others stood and did likewise.  "Here’s to absent family."

"To courage under fire," Leo said.

"To heroes, one and all," said Mrs. Landingham.

"To fighting for another day," said Mandy.

"To love," said C.J.

"To laughter," said Sam.

"To clean underwear," said Toby.

They all laughed and downed their drinks.

 

Jed sat down. There was work to be done.

"All right, Leo. Run it down for us."

"Yes sir. There were three fatalities. One Secret Service agent, two civilians, all DOA. About fifteen injuries, not counting Charlie, Josh and the rest of our walking wounded among the staff. Three were victims of gunfire, nothing life-threatening. One was treated and released; two remain hospitalized in good condition. The others were treated for various strains, sprains, cuts and bruises. One suffered a fractured ankle from being trampled. One man suffered a mild heart attack; he’s in stable condition."

"Good. What’s the status of our two boys?"

C.J. spoke up. "Charlie’s out of surgery. He came through with no complications. He should be discharged within the week."

"That’s good news. I’ll have to tell Zoey. What about Josh?"

C.J. didn’t immediately answer. She bowed her head for a moment, blinking back tears.

"C.J.?" Leo asked. "Is Josh dead?"

"No!" She blurted out. She sat for a few seconds, struggling with the words. "He… he’s still in surgery. I got a report from of the nurses who was in the operating room. She said the bullet is lodged near his spinal cord."  
  


"Good Lord," Leo breathed.

The words now began tumbling out of her mouth. "They’re trying to remove the bullet and bring the swelling down, but it’s been difficult. He lost a lot of blood and apparently he’s got a rare type that they don’t readily keep in supply. They’ve had to cross-match him with type-O blood to keep from letting him bleed to death. And his heart stopped - twice. The last time it took them over five minutes to get it started again. So now, they don’t know if he’s going to be paralyzed…and he might have brain damage…"

"In addition to whatever brain damage he already has," Sam said, trying to lighten C.J.’s mood. C.J., however was in no mood for jokes. 

"Damn you, Sam Seaborne! Does everything have to be a joke with you?"

"I’m sorry, C.J…"

"Just shut up, okay!" She got up and paced the room, like a caged animal looking for a way to escape, tears flowing down her face. "God! Do you get that people shot at us tonight? I mean, this is insane! One minute, we’re talking about approval ratings and town hall meetings and the next bullets are flying, and Charlie’s in the hospital, people are dead and Josh is in an operating room with a bullet in his back, for God’s sake! How funny is that? Huh? Just how damned funny is that?!" 

She stopped in her tracks and noticed the same shocked silence that they had witnessed after the President’s outburst only moments before. It suddenly occurred to her, that she had just lost it in front of the President of the United States and his entire senior staff.  Her embarrassment knew no words, but she didn’t care. She sighed and collapsed in her seat. "It’s Josh, you know? How can he be shot? How insane is this?" She couldn’t hold it together any longer. She buried her face in her hands and cried. 

 

Jed took out a handkerchief and handed it to C.J., who gratefully accepted it. Mandy was fighting back tears. Sam was mortified. And Toby looked as if he was about to beat Sam senseless with his cane. Jed spoke quickly, "Mrs. Landingham, alert the residence staff to have every guest room available immediately."

"Yes sir," came the reply. She knew what her boss was thinking and she quickly jumped up to make the arrangements, grateful for something to do to keep her occupied.

C.J. had dried her face, but she was too embarrassed by her emotional outburst to look up at her friends.  "I’m so sorry, Mr. President," she managed to croak out.

"Don’t apologize to me, C.J. You’re entitled to feel this way." He took her hands in his. "All of you are. I know how close the two of you are. I just went through the same thing with Abby and Zoey." C.J. smiled, remembering the sight of the broken glass on the floor.  

Jed looked around. "Listen to me, everyone. We will all have to come to terms with this in the days and weeks to come. The scars of this evening will heal, but they will always be a part of us. And out there, with the staff, the press and the public, I expect you to be the composed, professional men and women who make up the senior staff of this administration. And the staff will take their cues from you, and they will do their jobs and help you do yours. In the eyes of the nation, you will be the same people that our nation has come to trust and respect. 

But in here, consider this room as our ‘safe zone.’ Among us, we are allowed to be human and emotional.  We few, we who have walked through the valley of the shadow of death, can, in this room, shed our tears, feel our anger," and looking directly at C.J., "allow the healing to begin." He squeezed her hands and then released them at her nod.

"Okay. Here are your marching orders," Jed began. "Leo. All reports on the investigation come directly to you. Make it abundantly clear that all law enforcement agencies - Virginia state and local PD, FBI, CIA, Secret Service, NSC - we pool all resources on this. I want no grandstanding on this. Updates on leads, arrests - whatever - are to be issued through C.J. and our press office. Anyone who leaks on this will be dealt with - harshly."

"Yes sir," Leo answered.

"Also, you are to schedule time for everyone to speak with the FBI. I don’t want them wandering all over the White House spooking everyone.  Have them speak with Zoey at the residence; I want Abby present."

"What about Charlie?"

"I’ll have Abby check with the hospital. If he’s up to it, we’ll take care of it tomorrow afternoon."

Leo nodded in response.

Jed turned to Mandy. "Mandy, you’re point with the press tonight."

C.J. and Mandy both spoke up. "Sir?"

"You’re exhausted, C.J., and to emotionally attached right now. Mandy can handle this tonight."

"Yes sir," C.J. responded.

"Mandy, work with Sam on your statement. Keep it brief and to the point. I’m fine, Zoey’s fine. Indicate the number of fatalities and injuries, but no names and no conditions until we notify families. Answer no questions. Just make the statement and get out."

"Yes sir."

He paused. "Tell them there will be a full briefing from C.J. in the morning, then let them know that I will be addressing the nation tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m."

Toby and Sam were bewildered. "Mr. President?" they asked.

Jed knew what they were thinking. "Don’t worry about this one, boys. I’ll be writing my own speech this time."

Leo asked, "Are you sure about that Mr. President?"

"You bet I am."

Leo gave him a quizzical look but said nothing. Sam shrugged and Toby grimaced.

"Toby, you will be responsible for locating friends and family of the deceased and inured. Work with Mrs. Landingham to find out who they are and how we can help them through this. Let each family know that all the resources of this administration are at their disposal. And I’d like to meet with each of them personally, if they wish.

"Yes sir." 

"Mandy,  I need you to step in for Josh in his absence. Tomorrow morning you are to get with Leo and get up to speed on where we stand with items on the table with Congress and the Cabinet. I want you to work with Vice President Hoynes to make sure that things are running smoothly and that no one is using this incident as a time to advance their own agendas." He knew that Mandy understood his real meaning. "Hoynes is tough, but he’s smart. Don’t let him bully you. If he pushes, you push back. Go to Leo or me if you need advice, but know that you’ll be speaking directly on behalf and with the authority of this office. Understood?"

"Yes sir." She was shaking inside. If Josh didn’t make it, he was going to have to be replaced, and Mandy sensed that the President was grooming her just in case. Mandy had once told Josh she wanted to jump in the game. _But not like this Josh_ , she thought. _Never like this._

During all of this, Mrs. Landingham had reentered the room and sat quietly, watching and waiting for her moment. She spoke up. "It’s taken care of, Mr. President."

"Thank you." He looked around the room. "For tonight, you are all guests of the White House." Amid the protests of the staff, he held up his hands. "This is not a request. Now I know you all have changes of clothing in your offices. If you don’t, leave your things and the residence staff will have everything spruced up by morning. You’ll find all the necessary toiletries for your stay in your respective rooms." He paused. "Humor me, people. We’ve been through a horrific experience tonight, and as far as I know, those kooks may still be on the loose, waiting to finish what they started. I don’t want to take the chance that something could happen to you.

"Use the phones, contact family, friends, loved ones as needed. Remind them not to speak to the press."

He stood. "The next order of business: get some rest. Get your clothes, head for the residence and get some sleep if you can. I’m serious about this, people. No papers, no laptops. Except for Sam and Mandy who have to face off with the press, if I hear of any of you spending more than 10 minutes in, around or near an office, you’re fired. Tomorrow will be even more of a nightmare. Not only will you have to deal with staff, press and assorted other crises, but we still have to speak to the FBI and give our statements. If it helps, write it down. Every detail. But try to block it from your minds for a few hours. Abby has sedatives for anyone who needs them." He grinned. "And if that doesn’t work, I can always share you some more in-depth knowledge of the national parks."

At that, everyone groaned. They all remembered Josh’s experience with the President’s late night dissertation on Yellowstone and Yosemite. "Good night, people. And God bless."

"Good night, Mr. President," they echoed. Everyone stood to depart. Leo and Mrs. Landingham remained in their places, sensing that their business with the President had yet to be concluded.

Jed draped his arm around C.J.’s shoulders and spoke softly. "C.J., I’m aware of your friendship with Danny Concannon. And if you feel the need to lean on him in a personal way, you have my blessing. I trust you and I trust him to do right by you."

"Yes sir," she smiled. "Thank you sir."

He kissed her on the cheek and sent her on her way. He turned to his remaining staff. "Mrs. Landingham, find Danny Concannon have him sent here. And get John Hoynes on the phone." He thought a moment. "Have we contacted Charlie’s sister?"

"Yes, sir. I understand she’s vacationing with their grandparents. I’ve arranged for transportation to get them to D.C. as soon as possible. Mrs. Bartlet spoke with the family as soon as she received an update on Charlie’s condition. I’ve also spoken with Joey Lucas and I’ve arranged for her to see Josh as soon as possible."

"Good. Where’s Donna Moss?"

"I understand she went directly to the hospital and has been there every since went into surgery. Margaret left about half an hour ago to be with her. And after we’re done here, I’ll be joining them both."

"Thank you, Mrs. Landingham. Thank you for being here tonight."

"Thank you for coming home, Mr. President." She gave him the briefest of smiles and left.

 

Jed turned to Leo with a shocked expression. Leo just shrugged. "I think she likes me, Leo."

"Maybe so, sir."

"Leo, don’t let C.J. make her statement until after tomorrow’s press conference. I want her to be strong during the conference and if she has to openly talk about this before she faces the press, she may not be able to get through it."

Leo understood. After her uncharacteristic outburst, Leo was going to suggest C.J. take a few days off, but if he voiced his concerns, she would be furious.

The two men sat down and faced each other. The President and the Chief of Staff were gone. In their places sat Jed Bartlet and Leo McGarry, best friends for more than forty years. Both of them looked old and exhausted.

Leo spoke first. "You okay, Jed?"

"Hell no. Somebody took a shot at me, Leo. A real shot. And not just at me. At my daughter, her boyfriend, my best friend and a bunch of other people I happen to care a great deal about and quite a few more that I don’t even know." He ran his fingers through his hair. He seemed to have aged ten years. "How do I explain this to Zoey and Charlie? How can I reassure them that everything will be okay, that I’m fine with the two them being together, when deep down, I would like nothing better than for them to call the whole thing off? And if they stay together, are they always going to be living in fear for their lives and those of the people they’re closest to?"

"Don’t do this to yourself, Jed. You can’t fix this. You can’t control what will happen between the two of them. Once it’s all said and done, they’ll have to come to terms with this in their own way."

"If they break up, people will say it’s because of fear. If they stay together, people will say it’s stupid and suicidal. But whatever happens, it won’t be the same between them."

"You’re right. It won’t be the same. They’ll be stronger. They’re resilient, Jed. They’ll see their way through this, one way or the other, and they’ll come out the other side. And to hell what people think."

Jed was thoughtful. "You think we’ll lose anybody?"

"Nah. They’ll stay, if only to prove that they can."

"Hope the same is true about Josh."

"Amen."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Jed spoke. "If anything had happened to you, Leo, I’d have resigned."

"What?"

"I’m serious. I can’t do this without you, Leo."

"Bull."

"You know, this all your fault."

"My fault?!"

"Of course," Jed answered with a mischievous grin. "If you hadn’t gotten me elected, Zoey would have never met Charlie - "

"And John Hoynes would be running the country," Leo finished.

"Well, we certainly couldn’t let that happen, could we?"

"No sir, we most certainly could not," Leo answered chuckling. 

  

  

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	3. Family Affair 3

# A FAMILY AFFAIR, PART 3

 

 

After knocking softly, Mrs. Landingham reentered the room. "Sir, the Vice President is on the line for you and Danny Concannon is here."

 

"Put the Vice President through and send Danny in," Jed replied.  He stood to take the phone and waved Danny in to take a seat. "Mrs. Landingham, thank you for everything. That’s all for tonight."

"Yes sir. Good night, sir." She left the room.

Jed picked up the phone. "John. Yes, we’re fine, thanks for asking…Charlie will be alright. No word yet on Josh…yeah, I agree."

He listened for a minute then spoke. "John, we’re really going to need you this week. I’ve got my hands full with Zoey and the investigation and the aftermath of all of this. I’m counting on you to take the lead. Mrs. Landingham will fill you in on my schedule and Mandy will be your liaison to our office." He paused. "No, she’s not babysitting. She’s sharp and she’s going to watch your back. Even though the press will be focusing on the shootings, they’re still on the hunt for any kind of rift between us. I don’t want that, John. And right now, this administration has to present a united front, for the sake of the nation." 

He paused again. "I need you, John. I need to know that I can count on you…thank you, John. Good night."

 

As Jed was wrapping up his conversation, Leo turned to Danny and spoke softly, his tone nothing but stone. "Nothing you heard in this room is to be reported. If I event so much as _think_ that you’ve betrayed the President’s confidence, I’ll have your credentials yanked and you’ll be covering dog shows. Do I make myself clear, Danny?"

"Crystal," Danny answered. Ordinarily he would have given Leo a hard time. He was insulted to think that Danny would do anything to hurt the President, but at the same time Danny realized that Leo was doing his job. And after the night’s events, Danny knew this wasn’t the time to give anyone a hard time. Everything was different. Besides he was hoping to see C.J. before the night was over. He had lost sight of her in the confusion and no one seemed to know anything. Danny suspected that his summons from the President might be an answer to his wish.

Jed sat down across from the two men. "Leo, I think we’re done here." 

Leo understood. He rose from his seat. "Yes sir. Good night, Mr. President, Danny."

"Good night, sir," Danny answered formally. _Now that was unusual_ , Jed thought. After Leo left, Jed turned his attention to the red-headed reporter.  Danny spoke first. "I’m glad you and Zoey are both okay, sir. It’s a damn shame about Charlie and Josh."

"Thanks for your concern, Danny," Jed replied. "It’s late, so I’ll keep this brief. Danny, the senior staff is staying in the residence tonight, including C.J. I know you have a personal friendship with C.J. that you’ve been trying to turn into a romantic one. And I also know that Leo has probably threatened you once or twice about conflict of interest, betrayal, that sort of thing." 

Danny tried not to laugh. "Yes, sir," was all he managed to get out.

Jed continued. "C.J. is a terrific woman, Danny. And if the two of you get together and make each other happy, I say go for it. God knows we certainly could use more happiness in this world."

"Yes, sir."

"Danny, C.J. could really use a friend right now. She and Josh Lyman were - " he corrected himself, " _are_ close friends. She’s taking his condition very hard. I think she’s afraid of letting her guard down around any of us. She’s worked very hard to get where she is and she knows that any vulnerability on her part might be perceived as weakness. I don’t claim to understand that because being vulnerable, to me, says you’re still human. And after tonight, we’ve all proven that we’re human.

"I care a great deal about C.J. I want what’s best for her. And right now, I think that’s you.  She’s up in the residence; Mandy and Sam are going to handle the briefing. If you want to see her, one of the agents on duty should be able to tell you where she is." He stood and Danny joined him. The two men shook hands. "Take good care of our girl, Danny."

"I will, sir," Danny answered solemnly. "I won’t let either of you down. And sir? Thank you."

"You’re welcome."

 

Leo was sitting at his desk, agonizing over his aching ribs and back. He desperately wanted a Valium or a drink, anything to take the edge off of the horrors of the night. He reached into the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out an unopened half-pint of Scotch. He stared at it, trying to decide if he really wanted to give up six years of hard-fought sobriety for one night of drowning out the voices of the demons that were crowding his spirit. _If anyone has a right to a drink, I do,_ Leo thought.

"Daddy?"

Leo looked up to see his daughter standing in the doorway of his office. From the streaks on her face, he could tell that Mallory had been crying. But he sensed that her immediate concern rested on the edge of his desk.

"I wasn’t going to drink it," Leo began. "I want to. God knows I want to. And after tonight, I suppose most people wouldn’t blame me if I took a drink." He pushed the bottle toward his daughter. "But one drink wouldn’t do it. If I tried, I know I wouldn’t be able to stop. It’s taken me too long and cost me too much for a few moments of indulgence. I’ve got too much to lose this time. And I’ve got too many people counting on me to turn back now." 

He stood. "I’m so glad to see you, Mallory." He stepped around the desk and stretched out his arms, enfolding his daughter into his embrace. 

"I was so scared, Daddy," Mallory sobbed. 

"Me too, baby, me too." He released her and wiped her tears. "There was a moment when I didn’t think I’d ever see your face again." He led her over the couch and they sat down. "How long have you been here?"

"Not long. Margaret called us and said you were meeting with the President. I decided to wait for a while before coming over."

"You said ‘us’," Leo said.

"Yeah. I was with Mom."

"Jenny! I’ve been trying to call her all night but I kept getting a busy signal!"

"That’s my fault. When I first heard about the shooting, they weren’t giving out any information. I went to the house and I realized she was at her Al-Anon meeting. I took the phone off the hook and I went to get her before she heard it from the radio or something. I barely got away before the first news van showed up. I met mom at her meeting and headed for your room at the hotel. We’ve been holed up there until Margaret called me on my cell phone."

"Good thinking." He hesitated, but then he asked, "How’s your mother doing?"

"She was terrified when I told her what happened. They hadn’t released any names and we heard that a couple of the Senior Staff were hurt…" Her voice broke off and the tears started again. "We didn’t know what was happening… then we saw the pictures…the video…and all we saw…was you…down, not moving…and Mom kept saying, ‘He’s fine, just playing possum.’ I tried to believe her, but I thought…" She dissolved into a puddle of tears and buried her face in her father’s chest, sobs wracking her slender body.

Leo stroked her hair. "Shhh, baby. I’m okay. And I’m sorry I scared you. I should have thought to call you on your cell phone…shhh…" He kept trying to soother her, waiting for her crying to stop. He knew she had to get it all out. He was trying his best not to cry himself. "You know me, kiddo. I’m indestructible."

"That’s what Mom said," Mallory said. She wiped her face and looked up to face her father. "Daddy, how could something like this happen?"

"I don’t know sweetheart. But I am going to find out." He filled her in briefly on some of the details of the night, leaving out information about the shooters and their suspected motives. 

Mallory was devastated. "Oh my God. Poor Charlie - and Josh. Wow." She thought for a moment and then spoke. "Dad, I hate what’s happened to everyone else, and this may sound incredibly selfish, but I am so glad that it’s not you lying in the hospital."

Leo smiled. "It may be selfish of me, but so am I."

"C’mon Dad. Let’s get you out of here."

"Ah…" 

"What?"

"I can’t, Mallory."

"Why not?"

"The President has ordered us to stick around the residence for the night."

"But you should be with your family!" Mallory was furious.

"I know. And I want to. But I can’t."

She stood. "I don’t get this. You almost died tonight. Mom and I were crazy out of our minds with worry. And instead of you coming home to be with us, you say you have to stay here because Josiah Bartlet wants you to hold his hand? I don’t believe you!"

"Mal, it’s not just me. He’s ordered the entire senior staff to stay at the residence tonight in case the lunatics who struck in Virginia are also operating here in D.C."

"Oh yeah. That’s great, Daddy. And just how long before you come home? When will it be safe? Are you going to stay here forever? Or just until Jed Bartlet says it’s okay? No wonder Mom left you!"

"That’s enough!" Mallory whirled around to see her mother standing in the doorway of Leo’s office, eyes blazing.

He stood. "Jenny! What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you," Jenny McGarry began. "I had to see for myself that you were all right."

"Mom," Jenny said, "I thought you were going to wait - "

"My husband was almost killed tonight. I wasn’t going to sit and wait for someone else to tell me what I needed to know. And Mallory, I never want to hear you speak like that to your father again. Whatever has happened between your father and me, that is our business and has nothing whatsoever to do with the President. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma’am." Mallory turned to her father, blushing from embarrassment. She knew she had hurt her father with her words and she wished she could take them back. "Dad, I - " she started.

"It’s okay, Mal." He reached over and kissed her on the forehead. As he did so, he winced from the pain in his ribs. "Sweetheart, will you give us a moment?"

"Sure Dad." She smiled at both of her parents and headed for the door. She turned in the doorway. "Um, Dad? Do you know where I might find Sam?"

Leo groaned and shook his head. "If he’s not in his office, he might be in the press briefing room. He and Mandy were preparing to do the briefing tonight."

"Thanks Dad." She turned and left.

 

Leo and Jenny stood alone. No one spoke. In an instant, the months that had separated them were forgotten. As one, they came together. Leo kissed his wife as passionately as he had the day they first kissed. Jenny responded in kind.

When they finally parted, Jenny was surprised to see tears on Leo’s face. "Thank God you’re all right," she said.

"Jenny. God, I’ve missed you." He held her face in his hands. "Lying on that pavement, I couldn’t think of anyone or anything but you and Mallory. The thought that I might leave you, that I’d never see you both again…it was too much."

"I know. When I heard, I prayed for another chance…another chance to tell you…I love you Leo."

"Jen…"

"Wait. Let me finish. I love you, Leo McGarry. I have never stopped loving you. I have loved you practically all my life. My whole world nearly came crashing down tonight. The whole time while we were waiting for word, I just kept staring at my wedding ring and I could see your face." She stroked his cheek. "I kept remembering the vows we took: for better, for worse, in sickness, in health, until death do us part. I could see it all so clearly: the day we were married, the first time we made love, the day Mallory was born. I remembered how you looked when you shipped out to Vietnam. I remembered how you held me when you first came home. Every late night, every breakfast in bed. The trips, the parties, the late night strategy sessions. I remembered the first time you admitted you needed help for your addiction. I remembered the day you left to go to rehab and how hard you fought to recover. I remembered all of it, Leo, as if it had happened yesterday.

"But it was those words - ‘til death do us part.’ Tonight, for the first time, I was faced with the very real prospect of being separated from you forever. It scared me, Leo. I realized that whatever has gone on between us, I am not prepared to be separated from you forever. I’m not ready to let go."

"Jenny…"

"I love you, Leo. Whatever it takes, I want you back. I want _us_ back. Come home, Leo. Please."

"Jenny, I can’t tonight…"

"I don’t mean to the house. I mean _home_ ," She placed his hand over her heart and put her hand over his. "to me. _To us._ "

Leo was stunned. "Jenny, are you sure about this? I mean, in the light of day, when the dust settles and emotions aren’t running as high…"

"Shhh…." She kissed him on the lips. "You think there’s room for one more at "Hotel Bartlet"?" she asked with a smile.

Leo grinned back. "I’ll make room!" He scooped her up in a hug and spun her around, the pain in his ribs forgotten, his heart overflowing with joy.

 

Danny sprinted up the stairs to the residence. He had explained to his editor why he wasn’t going to attend the briefing, knowing that one of the junior reporters could cover whatever was being said tonight. Danny was sure they were only going to get a brief statement. He couldn’t care less. He was prepared to resign from his position, but his editor didn’t argue. He just asked Danny to make sure he was around in the morning for the full briefing. Danny was grateful and readily agreed. 

When he reached the residence, the guard on duty pointed him to C.J.’s room. He approached the door and raised his hand to knock. Instead, it opened and Abigail Bartlet emerged. "Danny! What are you doing here?"

"Mrs. Bartlet! I, uh, I wanted to - I mean, your husband," he began.

"Slow down, Danny. I’m guessing that Jed sent you up here to check on C.J."

"Yes ma’am."

"That’s good. I’ve given her a sedative, so don’t keep her up too late."

Danny nodded. "Is she okay?"

"Other than a sprained wrist and a nasty bruise to the face, I’d say she’s fine physically. I don’t think she’s really come to terms with everything that’s happened yet." She touched his arm. "Why don’t you go on in?"

"Thanks." He knocked twice and opened the door without waiting for a response. C.J. was standing near a window in a nightshirt and sweat socks, obviously borrowed from Abby. He could see the purple and swollen bruise on her cheek and the Ace bandage wrapped around her wrist. She didn’t seem to be aware of his presence in the room. He was afraid of startling her, so he whispered softly, "C.J."

She didn’t immediately respond, so he said again a little louder, "C.J.?"

 

She turned at the sound of his voice. "Hi Danny." She turned back to the window. A few seconds later, it dawned on her that there was a man standing in her room. And not just any man, but a reporter. And not just any reporter, but Danny Concannon. She whirled around in shock. "Danny! What are you doing here? How did you -?"

"Relax. Take it easy. I received special dispensation."

"What?!"

"The President said I could come up."  
  


"He did?"

"Yes." He hadn’t moved from his spot. Danny had the distinct impression that any sudden moves on his part might be met with screams or violence. Even though Abby said she had given a sedative to C.J., she still appeared to be too skittish for their usual light banter. He decided to take it nice and slow. "I wanted to see if you were okay. To see if you needed anything."

"I’m okay. You really should go. It’s late."

"I know. I just wanted to see you, to tell you that if you need a friend, a shoulder to lean on, whatever, I’m here. No strings. Anytime. Okay?"

"Okay."

"I’m just sayin’."

"I know."

"Okay." 

"Okay." She looked like she wanted to say something else, but she stopped. "I have to do the briefing in the morning. I think I’m going to lie down now." She moved to the edge of the bed and sat down.

"That’s a good idea. I’ll see you in the morning." He turned to leave when C.J. spoke.

"It was so loud."

Danny turned around. "What was?"

"The noise. The shots. The screaming. Everything. I heard the sounds and then there was nothing, except the moaning and shouting and the sirens. I was on the ground. I couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t feel anything. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. But I could hear. I heard it all."

Danny realized that the shock was wearing off and the memories of the night were slowly penetrating her consciousness. He didn’t say anything. He just listened and began slowly approaching the bed.

C.J. kept talking, almost to herself. "I could hear the bullets hit metal. I guess the cars took the brunt of it. It sounded like, like the way a soda can sounds when it’s crushed quickly. I suppose insurance would cover the cost of a bullet hole, although it would be a great story to tell your kids. ‘Look Junior. Here’s where Daddy got the bullet hole from the men who tried to kill the President.’" She let out a laugh that came out as a snort.

As she rambled on, C.J. seemed totally oblivious to the fact that Danny had moved to the edge of the bed and sat next to her.

"We were so excited about the new numbers. And the shuttle landing. Toby’s brother was going to be alright. We were going to go and celebrate. All of us - Charlie and Zoey, Sam, Toby and me, Josh…" Her voice got quieter. "Should’ve known it wasn’t going to happen. It’s just like Josh to pull some stunt to get out of buying a round." The tears started, but she didn’t move to wipe them away. "If Josh didn’t want to pay, I would have. I didn’t want him to miss out on this. He should have ducked." 

She turned to look at Danny. "Why didn’t he duck? He’s so stupid! Why didn’t he just duck? Why? Why didn’t he just get the hell out of the way?"

"I don’t know," Danny answered. He put his arm gently around her shoulders. "I don’t know."

As she laid her head on his shoulder and cried, Danny was helpless to do anything but hold her and rock her silently. He wasn’t aware of when his tears started, only that he couldn’t stand to see this woman in so much pain. In between his prayers of thanksgiving, he asked - begged - God to heal Josh’s broken body. Because no matter how much he cared for her, Danny knew that he would never be able to replace the hole in C.J.’s heart if Josh were to die. 

  

  

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	4. Family Affair 4

# A FAMILY AFFAIR, PART 4

 

Jed sat alone in his office, trying to work on his speech for tomorrow. He jotted down some notes and ideas, but after about an hour, he gave up. He started to call for Charlie, but caught himself, acutely aware of the young man’s absence. Thinking about Charlie led him to think of his youngest daughter. Jed knew he had been unduly harsh with Zoey. None of this was her fault. She was scared, tired, angry and on the verge of losing someone she cared deeply about \- _loved, Jed, loved_ \- and her reaction had been only natural. _If they had made me leave without her, I’d have broken someone’s neck._

He knew that in the morning, after she’d rested, Zoey would be thinking clearly and would apologize to Gina for her outburst. She was a level-headed young woman, who knew that the agent’s first priority was her safety, no matter what the cost. And Zoey knew that Gina would have made sure that Charlie was safe and getting the help he needed before leaving him. Jed knew the only reason Zoey had reacted the way she did was because she was still in shock. She had lashed out in anger at the most convenient target. 

And so did you, you ass. You were angry at your daughter because you wanted to blame someone. And deep down, you wanted to blame her for not taking those threats seriously. Admit it, Jed. As much as you like Charlie and as much as you love your daughter, their relationship is to blame for what happened tonight.

From another corner of his mind, came another voice: _No! They are not to blame! They have a right to be with each other. The only ones to blame are those sick, sorry bastards who picked up those weapons and took aim. Not Charlie. Not Zoey._

"That’s enough," Jed said aloud, as much for himself as to silence the voices in his head. "I’m going to bed." He stood and stretched, dreading the long walk upstairs to the residence. "What this place needs is a transporter. ‘Beam me up, Scotty.’ I’ll have to talk to NASA about that one." He chuckled to himself.

 

 

He was nearly at the top of the stairs when he heard it: the muffled sobs turned into whimpers. Then came the screams: "Daddy! Help me! Somebody help me!"

"Zoey!" Jed bolted up the remaining stairs and flew past the agents on duty. He couldn’t protect his daughter from a hail of bullets, but he vowed to keep her safe from the nightmares that were surely invading her sleep.

He burst through her door, beating the agents by nearly ten seconds. Zoey was huddled in a corner, arms wrapped around her knees. The light from the hallway illuminated the room. Zoey’s eyes were wide open, but she didn’t seem to be seeing anyone. He face was frozen in a mask of panic and fear. Jed realized that Zoey was probably sleepwalking - or rather, sleep-sitting. Her body was reacting to forces that were motivating her nightmare.

Not sure of exactly what to do, he began to think like his wife. If Zoey were to be awakened suddenly, it would produce a shock to her already over-taxed nervous system. He motioned for the guards to back away. In the same moment, he saw Abby racing to the door. He held up a finger to silence her and turned to face his daughter. He willed his heart to slow its pace and forced the panic in his voice to be silent.

"Zoey," he began, his voice as soft as it had been when she was a baby asleep in his arms. "I’m here. Daddy’s here." He watched her reaction. She didn’t seem to hear him, so he continued. "I’m right here, sweetheart. Daddy’s here. I’m going to keep you safe." He took quiet steps towards here, speaking softly. 

"The bad men are here," Zoey said. She sounded like she was six years old. "They tried to hurt me."

"I know." He knelt down next to her. "I know about the bad men. They can’t hurt you. Never again. I won’t let them hurt you. I’m right here, Zoey. I won’t let them hurt you."

She began rocking back and forth, tears streaming down her face. "I’m so scared, Daddy. The bad men came and you left me here alone."

"No," Jed answered. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and continued. "I didn’t leave you alone. I’m right here. I won’t let them hurt you. I promise." He gently took her into his arms.  

The physical connection seemed to awaken Zoey. She blinked a couple of times and squinted at her mother, who was now kneeling front of her. "Mom?"

"You were having a nightmare, sweetie." Abby brushed back the hair from her daughter’s eyes. "Do you remember?"

Zoey shook her head. She suddenly was aware that someone was holding her. She squirmed around to see her father blinking back tears. "Dad? What’s wrong? What happened?" She noticed the blood on Jed’s shirt. "You’re bleeding! What happened to you?" She turned to her mother. "Mom, do something!"

Abby’s worried expression matched her husband’s. "It’s not his blood. It’s Charlie’s," she said.

"What?!" Zoey exclaimed.

Abby took Zoey’s face in her hands. "Zoey, I want you to concentrate. Do you remember what happened tonight?"

Zoey nodded. "We were in Virginia, at the town hall meeting. Charlie and I…" she stopped. 

"What? What happened between you and Charlie?" Abby asked gently. 

Zoey tried to pull herself away from her mother’s grasp, as if avoiding the question would keep her from facing the answer. Jed held on to his daughter; he wasn’t sure if they should push the girl into talking about what had happened, but he trusted his wife’s judgment, so he remained silent.

Abby pushed on. "C’mon Zoey. Tell me what happened between you and Charlie."

"I can’t…" She was trembling. Jed instinctively tightened his grip on her. 

"You have to, Zoe. You have to tell me what happened."

"We…we… we were leaving…somebody started shooting at us. People were screaming. There was all this blood. Charlie’s blood. And I couldn’t find Daddy. Charlie needed help and I couldn’t find Daddy. I was so scared…I thought I was all alone…" Her voice broke off into sobs.

Jed’s insides were churning. He shouldn’t have left her side.  "I’m so sorry, Zoey. I tried to get to you. I wanted to protect you, I didn’t want you to be alone out there.  I tried, baby, I really tried. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…" His voice also broke and he looked up at his wife. "I’m so sorry. I should have been there…forgive me. Oh God, please forgive me…" He buried his face into his daughter’s hair. 

Abby managed to wrap her arms around her family. "It’s okay. We’re all okay. We’re going to be all right."

 

Down in the press briefing room, Mandy was wrapping up her statement. "The President will be addressing the nation at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Until that time, we ask that the thoughts and prayers of our nation be with the families and loved ones of the injured and deceased. Thank you."

Amid shouts of "What’s the President going to say?" and "How many shooters?" and "Will C.J. be back tomorrow?", Mandy strode out of the room, away from the glare of the lights and the flashing bulbs. Sam was waiting for her and matched her pace. "You did great," he said.

"Yeah?" she countered. "I felt like I was going to throw up."

"It’s a good thing you didn’t."

"Think C.J. will be ready to go tomorrow?"

"Probably," Sam answered. "Maybe. Think she’ll ever speak to me again?"

"Probably."

"You think so?"

"Only as a matter of professional courtesy."

"Courtesy’s good."

"I, on the other hand, won’t."

"Won’t what?"

"Be speaking to you again."

Sam was confused. "What did I do to you?"

Mandy whirled around to face him, totally unaware that the entire staff had stopped to watch this exchange. "You’re a complete jackass, Sam. C.J. says that Josh might be brain damaged and you make that crack - "

"I was trying to lighten the mood!"

"Well we can see how much _that_ helped."

The door to Toby’s office opened. "Sam, Mandy. In here." 

"Toby, what are you still doing down here?" Sam asked.

"Now, Sam." 

Mandy shook her head and turned into the office, followed closely by Sam. Toby closed the door and stood there.

"First of all," he began, "Mandy you did a great job under difficult circumstances. You handled yourself well."

"Thanks Toby," she replied.

He paused. When he spoke, his voice was soft and deep, the anger barely in check. "I’m only going to say this once. Knock it off, both of you."

"Knock what off?" Sam was bewildered.

"The bickering, the picking at each other. It stops now."

"We always talk like this."

"Not tonight. Not like this. Not anymore."

"I don’t understand," Mandy said.

"The two of you going at each other. It has to stop. Everyone is still pretty shaken up over what’s happened. People are scared, unsure of how all of this is going to play out. They are watching us, seeing how we’re going to react. If we’re picking at each other, needling each other, they’ll pick up on it. And it’s going to filter down to the rest of the staff. And instead of being professional and supportive of each other, they’ll become petty and divisive and this staff will go to pieces.

"So now which one of you wants to go tell Leo that he’s going to have to replace most of the administrative staff tomorrow?"

No one spoke. Both Sam and Mandy realized that they had been picking a fight with each other because they needed to let off some steam. Neither of them realized the effect it would have on the rest of the staff.

Finally Mandy spoke. "I’m sorry Toby, Sam."

"Me too," came Sam’s reply. "It won’t happen again."

"Thank you," Toby said. He opened the door. "Good night." Mandy walked out silently. Sam followed but Toby put out his hand to stop the younger man. "Sam? I know you’re scared for Josh and Charlie. You don’t have to play the court jester for the rest of us."

"Yeah. Okay." Sam left the office and headed for his own.

 

Toby closed the door and leaned on it. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been so tired or when his body ached. He replayed the conversation he had with Andrea. She burst into tears when she had heard his voice. They spoke briefly. She wanted to come to him, but he insisted that she stay put. Too many complications, he had said. That was the truth. Toby wanted nothing more than to hold her and be held by her. But he was afraid that in the light of day, nothing would have changed between them.  _Hell, nothing would ever change between them if they didn’t give it a try. I’m going to spend some time with Andi this weekend. If nothing else_ , Toby thought, _I have learned that life is too short to worry about tomorrow. I can’t keep closing myself off to those people that I love._

 _  
_

He was about to leave when he noticed his Hebrew prayer book lying on his desk. He had pulled it out, meaning to offer up a prayer for David and the others on the shuttle mission. He realized belatedly that he had never done it. He slowly limped over to his desk and opened up the worn book. He began praying softly: a prayer of thanksgiving for the safety of his brother and the others on the mission, a prayer of mercy and healing for Charlie and Josh.

 

Sam was gathering his things when he heard a soft tapping at the door. This puzzled him because he had sent the rest of the staff home after his brief encounter with Toby. He stood there, unsure of what he should do. He didn’t have long to think because in a matter of seconds, the door opened and Mallory was poking her head in. "Sam?"

He was surprised and grateful to see her. "Um, come in, Mallory. I’m surprised to see you." At her arched eyebrow, he stammered, "I- I- I mean, I’m glad to see you, but I’m surprised because I’d just assumed you would have been with Leo."

"I was, but I wanted to see you."

"You did?"

"Yes."

"Oh." Sam wasn’t sure what to say next. So he simply said, "How’s he doing?" _Duh, Sam. What a good comeback._

"He’s fine. My mom’s with him."

"Jenny? Jenny’s here? That’s good. I mean, that’s great. Isn’t it?"

"Yeah, I think so. I think they may try to work things out."

"It’s a shame that it takes a tragedy to bring two people together." He stood there, unsure of what he wanted to say next. For once in his life, there was no witty comeback, no snappy repartee. He just couldn’t believe that she was standing there, wanting to see him.

The moment was broken by the ringing of his phone. He jumped and reached for it. "Sam Seaborne. Oh, hi Laurie…Yes, I’m fine." He saw Mallory turn to go, but he knew that if she walked out now, he would be losing something - he wasn’t sure what it was, but he knew he desperately wanted to find out. "Hang on a sec, Laurie." He pressed the mute button. "Mallory, please wait a minute."

"You’re busy, and - "

"Stay. Please." He prayed that she wouldn’t refuse him. He was rewarded with a simple nod. She stood there and waited. 

He resumed his conversation. "Yeah, I’m really okay…Josh? No…he’s not good…yeah…it’s pretty bad…No, I can’t get away tonight…yeah, it is…yeah, me too…maybe when things settle down…I’d like that…yeah, okay. G’night." He hung up the phone. He assumed that Mallory was waiting for some sort of an explanation, so he said, "That was Laurie. She was pretty worried and she just wanted to make sure I was alright."

"That’s good," Mallory answered.

"She’s a friend."

"Yes, I know. You told me." She paused. When he didn’t say anything else, she said, "Sam?"

"Yeah?"

" _Are_ you all right?"

"Yeah. Fine. I got a cut over my eye, but it’s nothing serious. All things considered." Every nerve in his body had been stretched to its limit and Mallory’s presence wasn’t helping the situation. He wanted to do something \- anything - but his brain was holding his body hostage.

"Do you want to talk, Sam?"

"I’m fine. Really."

"Oh. Okay." She paused. "Look, Sam. Tonight was really bad. I almost lost a lot of people that I care about. That includes you. I don’t want to make things awkward between us. I just wanted to see if you were alright and if maybe you needed someone to talk to, I’d listen. But hey, it’s okay. Really." She turned to leave.

Her action seemed to jumpstart his brain. He reached out to her and grabbed her arm. "I wanted to…I mean, thank you." He leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. 

He seemed more startled by his own actions than she did. In fact, as soon as he opened his eyes, he backed away from her. "I’m sorry."

"I’m not."

"No. It’s just that I shouldn’t have. I mean with everything that’s happened, I shouldn’t be thinking of this. Of you."

"It’s like you said, ‘it shouldn’t take a tragedy to bring people together.’"

"Yes, well…" He began to fidget. "Um, I’ve got to go - uh, do - something…"

"Sam?"

"Yes."

"Stop."

"Stop what?"

"Stop doing this. Dancing around your feelings."

"I’m not dancing!"

"Yes you are! You’re afraid of opening up to anyone about how you really feel. You play these games, hide behind your work and your words and you never let anyone in. Why is that?"

_Toby called me a court jester._ "I don’t know. I don’t - want - to _not_ let anyone - you - in."

"Then let me in Sam." She took his hand in both of hers. "Let me in."

He took a deep breath and removed his glasses. He looked at the floor, afraid to look her in the eye. "It was scary as hell. This was worse than anything I could have ever imagined. We were in a war zone. We were outgunned, outnumbered \- I guess. And I just know I didn’t want to die." They moved to sit on the couch. Sam talked, Mallory listened. And they held hands all through the night.

 

The next morning, the staff was running relatively normal. With the notable absences of Charlie, Josh and Donna, everyone was back in his or her place, doing their jobs. No one spoke of their missing colleagues or the reason for their absence, except when passing on information to the appropriate party.

It had been a long strange night at the White House. Despite the tragedy that had taken place, it seemed as though some good had come out of it. Margaret was sure she heard Leo humming in his office when he wasn’t barking at one law enforcement official or another. The scuttlebutt was that Jenny McGarry had been seen leaving the residence around 5:30 a.m. along with Danny Concannon. Margaret knew this for a fact because when she arrived at 6:00 a.m., Leo and Jenny were having a heated discussion with and about their daughter, who it seemed had fallen asleep in Sam’s office - with Sam.

Margaret was known for her absolute discretion in matters concerning her boss. But she felt she had to share what she had learned about what was being referred to as "the incident." She found Cathy, Carol, Bonnie and Ginger and relayed the news to them. "They got the bastards," she said. "They nailed them at the scene." 

"Who did?" Bonnie asked.

"Secret Service, police. I don’t know. But they’re dead and that’s all I care about."

"Ditto," Cathy said.

Ginger spoke up. "Do you suppose we should tell Donna?"

"No," Margaret replied. "Not yet. C.J.’s going to release the information at the briefing this morning. In the meantime, they’re still investigating how they were able to get so close within the security perimeter."

"Wow," Ginger said. "I’ll bet some asses are going to be chewed this week."

"No doubt."

"Listen, I don’t want to talk about this anymore," Carol said. "I’ve heard enough getting C.J. prepped for the briefing."

"Here, here." Bonnie said. "So what do we talk about?"

"How about the fact that Danny Concannon spend the night in C.J.’s room?"

"How about we don’t ladies." They turned to find the disapproving scowl of Mrs. Landingham turned on them. "This has been an extremely traumatic experience for the President and the senior staff. But somehow they’ve managed to put up a brave front and continue with the business of the day as professionals. The very least we can do is to give them the same professional courtesy and _respect_ that they have earned. 

"And for the record, after what they’ve been through, whatever - or _who_ ever \- " she looked pointedly at Carol "they need to see them through the nights, that is none of our concern." Her tone became scathing. "I expect you to remember that from now on. Now I suggest you all get back to work." As they began dispersing, Mrs. Landingham called out, "Margaret."

Margaret turned to face the older woman. "Margaret, I know how much Leo depends on you. But if I ever hear you betray his confidence like that again, he will have to learn to get along without you. Is that clear?"

"Yes," Margaret answered. "It won’t happen again." She hurried back to her desk. Leo never learned of her encounter with the President’s secretary, although he did wonder why Margaret seemed unusually quiet and respectful throughout the day. 

  

  

1.5.6503.32258  


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	5. Family Affair 5

# A FAMILY AFFAIR, PART 5 

 

 

At 9:00 a.m., everyone stopped to hear the  
President's speech. First, C.J. opened up the briefing, relaying information on  
the details of the investigation to date. She also briefly mentioned the  
conditions of the members of the senior staff who had been injured. Then, after  
explaining that there would be no questions answered after his speech, C.J.  
introduced the President.

As he began, Jed expressed the condolences and sympathies of himself, his family and his administration to the families and friends of the injured and dead. But what came next took everyone by surprise. 

"I want to also extend my sympathies to the families of the perpetrators of this horrible act. This may be surprising to some since the shooting was directed towards my daughter, myself and the members of my staff." He paused briefly, then continued, his voice soft. "I almost lost my daughter last night. I am grateful to God that she is still here with us. And I am also relieved that the members of my staff who were injured will also recover. 

"But for the families of those young men who committed this unspeakable crime, they will always be haunted by the loss of their sons and brothers. I do not know if they shared in the misguided beliefs of gunmen; for all I know, they may view them as patriots or martyrs for a cause that I do not claim to understand. For me that is not the issue. I only know that with their deaths, they...and we- are left with no answers, only questions. We have to ask ourselves, `Why didn't we see this coming? What could have been done to stop it?' This is a burden that we must all bear in the coming days and weeks ahead. 

His voice grew stronger. "In the wake of the events, I have spoken with many leaders of our country as well as those from around the world. All have asked the same question: `What will I do now?' It's a fair question. I have asked myself the same question for most of the night. Should ask for tougher laws restricting firearms? Do I demand stiffer penalties for those who illegally sell and purchase guns? Do I submit legislation that will send more people to jail for possessing or using guns? 

"I suppose I could do those things. As a father, I would want to see those things happen, to protect my family from another assault. But as President, I have to look at the bigger picture. I have to act in the best interest of our nation. So yes, I can introduce legislation and bills to do those very things. And there would be lots of debates in Congress and in the media and in homes everywhere about the merits of such legislation. But I will not do this. As President, I realize that no matter how much you can legislate people's actions, you can regulate their thinking. 

"So then we turn to the next question: who do we blame for this? The gunmen? Yes. They made the choice to pick up the guns and open fire. And they have paid for their choices with their lives. But if we are to look to someone to blame, it can't stop with them. It goes way beyond that. If you want someone to blame, it's time to take a long hard look in the mirror. We, the American people are to blame." 

***** 

(Author's note: I borrowed a line from one of my favorite movies, "Glory" that was written and directed by Ed Zwick. Thank you Ed for writing it and Matthew Broderick for saying it. I took it to heart. -Donna) 

In the briefing room, no one stirred. No one moved. No one breathed. They were completely captivated by this man who was no longer speaking as a politician, but as a man who was on a mission. 

Jed continued. "In a society that glorifies violence and devalues human life, where we have fundraisers to save whales and rainforests and tigers, but will allow thousands of children to go hungry, homeless or live under the specter of abuse and neglect, I say we are to blame. This is a society where you can be lynched or beaten to death because of your skin color, ethnic heritage or sexual orientation. This is a world where athletes and entertainers are paid millions of dollars, but teachers can barely make a decent living. 

"What am I going to do? I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I am going to put forth a bill to Congress that will take our massive budget surplus and turn it into funds for education. First, I propose that we begin hiring teachers and aides and principals and paying them the salary that they deserve. I want every school system in this nation to have their choice of the very best. I want the best and brightest of our college graduates to clamor for positions as teachers, not because of the money, but because they want to make a difference in the lives of our children. And I want them to do this and not have to worry about making ends meet. 

"Second, I am going to propose that we evaluate the status of schools in our communities. In areas where the income is lower, I propose that funds are invested in that community to bring all schools up to code and have them wired and computer ready to meet the challenges of the 21st century, so that all children will have equal footing on the playing field. 

"Third, I am going to propose tax incentives for any corporation who will invest $5 million or more into low-income communities to provide job training and jobs for residents who are living at or below the poverty level. And I'm not talking about minimum wage jobs. I'm talking about jobs where single parents can make a living without having to go on welfare or take a second job. 

"Fourth, I am going to propose that we divert some of our surplus funds into funding before and after school programs that will also allow children to have a safe place to play and learn and stay out of trouble. And I will be proposing that we reopen and fund the music, arts and sports programs in school districts that had to eliminate these programs due to lack of money. 

"Finally, I am going to push for more federal funding for financial aid for college students. A child should not be denied an education due a lack of funds, nor should they be forced to mortgage their futures with loans at high rates. 

"That's the legislation that's going forward. I realize that we're going to be in for a fight on this. Even now, members of the Congress are preparing their speeches to tell you why this can't be done." He stopped. He took a moment and looked at each member of the press dead in the eye, as if to sear this moment in their memories forever. `Remember what you see here,' Jed thought to himself. 

***** 

He continued, his voice deeper and more serious than anyone had ever heard before. "That's fine. But I'm putting Congress on notice: I'm ready. If it's a fight you want, than you better be ready to pull out all the stops because I'm going to fight for this. I am going to fight tooth and nail for our children. And I'm counting on the American people to make their voices heard and to stand in the fight with me. 

"I am as outraged as anybody could possibly be over what's happened. And I'm not standing for it anymore! So I'm putting a challenge out to the rest of you. I am going to enact a series of national town meetings. These aren't just going to be your standard meetings. I'm challenging people to come together... every church, every civic and political organization ... across racial, social, religious and economic lines. I want us talking to each other; not AT each other, but WITH and TO each other. I want us to sit down together, eat together, worship together, laugh together and pray together. If we can't do that, I promise you ladies and gentlemen, we will surely die together. 

He paused once more. "Let's stop asking each other why. Let's begin by asking each other, `Why not'." 

"May the God who created and loves us all, be with us all in the days to come. Thank you. God bless you and God bless America." 

C.J., Toby, Sam and Leo were standing off to the side of the podium. As the president was wrapping up his speech, Sam leaned into Toby, his voice barely above a whisper. "Did you know about any of this?" 

Toby only shook his head. He was afraid to speak. He was deeply moved by Jed's remarks and he didn't trust himself to say anything right away. 

C.J. wiped the ears from her eyes and turned to face her friends. "Ready to knock down a few walls?" 

Leo grinned. "Damn straight!" He gave C.J. a brief hug and slapped Sam and Toby on the shoulders. 

Toby finally found his voice. "Let's go, Sam. We've got our work cut out for us." 

C.J. went to the podium to end the briefing. As Jed headed out, Leo was at his side. He stopped and said, I have never been more honored to serve you, Mr. President. And I have never been more proud to call you my friend." 

Jed grinned. He hadn't felt this alive and energized since the day they won the election. "I gotta be me, right Leo?" 

"No question." 

"Then let's get to work!" 

"Yes sir!" 

***** 

After her interview with the FBI, Zoey went to find Gina to talk. "Gina, I wanted to apologize to you for last night, and not because of my dad. He was right and I was wrong. I know you were doing your job. I shouldn't have said those awful things to you." 

"It's okay," Gina replied. "I know how upset you were last night. Everyone's nerves were pretty raw after what happened. If our positions were reversed, I'm sure I would have felt the same way. Or worse." 

"So we're cool?" 

"Yeah, we're cool." Gina smiled. "But there's just one thing." 

"What's that?" 

"I was in the Army, not the Marines." 

"Oops." They both shared a laugh. 

"Hey, I hear Charlie's going home soon." 

"Yeah." 

At Zoey's half-hearted response and crestfallen demeanor, Gina asked, "What's wrong?" 

Zoey hesitated. She hadn't really talked about her feelings from yesterday's events. She couldn't talk to her parents; they had too much on her minds. And she couldn't talk to her sisters; they couldn't possibly understand what that experience had been like. But Zoey knew that Gina understood. She had prepared for it, she knew it was a possibility and she had warned them it could happen. But more importantly, she had protected them both at the risk to her own life. 

So she said, "His family is at the hospital. I don't know if I can face them." 

"Why not?" 

"Well, because" She shrugged. "This is all my fault." 

"What?" Gina exclaimed. 

"It's my fault. I knew about the letters and the threats. If I hadn't been going out with Charlie..." 

Gina interrupted her. "Stop it, Zoey. This was not your fault. None of this was your fault. Or Charlie's. You guys shouldn't be punished for wanting to be together. Those sick bastards are the ones responsible. They were shooting at you, Charlie, your dad and everyone else. They had no right to do that. No one is blaming you for what happened. Stop blaming yourself." 

Zoey just sighed. "I guess." She left Gina standing there, saddened at the burden the younger woman seemed so intent upon carrying. She made a mental note to speak to the President and Mrs. Bartlet about their daughter ASAP.

  

  


	6. Family Affair 6

# A FAMILY AFFAIR, PART 6 

 

 

(Author's note: Beverly McFadden is my own  
creation with at nod to Star Trek:The Next Generation. You'll be seeing her  
again. Everyone else belongs to my hero Aaron Sorkin. D)

  

As the rest of the senior staff got underway with assuming the business of the day, Jed, Abby and Zoey paid a relatively quiet visit to the hospital to check on the injured. Jed had adamantly refused to have any press along; he felt that there had been enough confusion without further invading the privacy of the victims and their families. Besides, he reasoned, he wasn't trying to score political points. He was genuinely concerned about everyone's recovery. 

Abby was also concerned, but she had a couple of ulterior motives for her visit. First, she had conspired with her best friend and colleague, Dr. Beverly McFadden, to give her husband a complete examination. Beverly knew about Jed's MS; Abby also knew should count on Beverly's professional ethics and personal discretion. Second, Abby wanted to check on Donna. Abby learned that since Josh was admitted, Donna had never left his bedside. Abby wanted to be sure that Donna wouldn't end up as another casualty in this disaster. 

Zoey was looking forward to her visit with Charlie. At the same time, she dreaded having to face him or his family. She still blamed herself for everything that had happened. She knew she had to end things with Charlie or risk losing him for good. `It's for the best,' she told herself. So why did she feel like throwing up? 

  

"I don't like this Abby. Not one bit." 

"Hush." Beverly McFadden was trying to take Jed's blood pressure and he wasn't cooperating. 

"Did you hear that, Abigail? She just told the President of the United States to `hush'. What kind of bedside manner is that?" 

"Jed, be quiet." Abby's voice was stern. "You'll be done in a moment." 

"I don't like Zoey being alone in this place." 

"She's not alone. Gina is with her, along with about a half-dozen other agents on Charlie's floor. She needs this time alone with him. They've got to deal with what's happened." 

"I still say OW!" He turned to Beverly. "You stuck me on purpose!" 

"I was trying to take a blood sample and you moved," Beverly said with a smirk. She had known Jed and Abby for nearly 25 years and she couldn't resist teasing the man. 

"I never liked you," Jed muttered. 

"You love me and you know it." 

"If you weren't my wife's best friend, I'd have had you audited by the IRS." 

"If you weren't my best friend's husband, I would have stuck that thermometer up your - " 

"Be nice," Abby warned. 

"I'm always nice," Beverly responded. 

"HA!" Jed snorted. 

Abby asked, "What's the verdict?" 

"Well, he's your typical pain in the ass, but I think he's all right. Pressure's a bit elevated, but under the circumstances, it's understandable." 

"And the MS?" 

"Doesn't look like it's flared up. I'll take the blood sample down to the lab myself and put a rush on it. Keep him rested and taking his medication. I don't see any reason for him not to get back to work tomorrow." 

"Hello?" Jed squirmed. "I'm still here." 

"For which we are all grateful," Beverly said. "Get dressed. I'll take you to see Josh." She kissed Jed on the cheek. "Hell of a speech, Jed." She left the room. 

Jed grinned at Abby. "She loves me." 

"You wish." 

***** 

(Author's note: A grateful nod to Air Supply; I borrowed the theme of the lyrics to their song "Making Love (Out of Nothing At All)". D) 

  

Zoey stood waiting by the door. The nurse came out and spoke. "You must be Zoey. He's been asking about you since he got here. Why don't you go on in?" 

"Thanks," Zoey said. She pushed open the door and stood there and looked at Charlie in bed. For a moment, all she could see was his blood-soaked shirt. She shuddered involuntarily. 

Charlie could sense Zoey's uneasiness. He decided to break the ice. "Hey Zoey." 

"Hey Charlie." 

"You just missed my grandparents and Deena. They went to get something to eat." 

"I'm sorry I missed them," she lied. "How how's your shoulder?" 

"It hurts. The drugs help, but it's really sore." 

"I'm sorry." 

"It's not your fault." 

She knew this was going to lead to something that she wasn't ready to get into, so she quickly changed the subject. "Mom and Dad are coming to see you after they check on Josh." 

"The President is here?" 

"Yeah. Mom tricked him into getting checked out." 

"Good for her." 

"Yeah." 

The seconds ticked by. Finally Charlie asked, "Are you going to come in? I'm not contagious." 

"Yeah. Sure." She took a few steps in and stopped. "Charlie, I don't think we should see each other anymore," she blurted out. 

"What?!" 

"I think this was a mistake." 

"No." 

"I'm sorry Charlie." 

"No, Zoey." He shook his head. "I'm not letting you do this. If you want to break up with me because you're bored, or you want to see someone else or because I've made you mad, then fine." 

"Charlie, please..." 

"If you're going to break up with me because of what happened last night, then I'm not going to let you do it. I'm not." 

"Please don't make this any harder than it has to be." Her voice was soft and choked with emotion. 

"Unh-unh. I'm not letting you off that easy. Last night last night was the scariest night of my life. And I can pretty much guess why it happened. Hell, I know why it happened." 

"Charlie.." 

"Look at me, Zoey. Look me in the eye and tell me you don't care about me. Tell me that you want to end this because you don't care about me. See, I heard you, Zoey. Last night in the parking lot. When Gina made you get into that limo, the only thing I could year was you. So you tell me that between last night and this afternoon you stopped feeling anything for me, for us. If you can do that, I'll let you walk away. 

"But before you leave, you'll have to tell me one thing." 

She wiped away a tear that had fallen. "What?" 

"Tell me how to shut off your feelings. I don't know how to do that. I don't know how...how to stop loving you." 

At Zoey's shocked expression, Charlie went on. "I love you Zoey. I do. I didn't realize it until I heard those gunshots. I knew that I had to protect you. I didn't want to lose you. And if that meant I would die to keep you safe, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. So tell me, how do I stop loving you? Tell me how to do that. I don't care what anybody else thinks. I'm not ashamed of what and how I feel about you. But if you want me to walk away, tell me you don't love me. And I'll let you go." 

Zoey was frozen. Charlie's revelation was incredible. Time stood still, as if every moment in her life that had passed and all those that were to come had suddenly converged at this point. 

He was waiting for an answer. She knew what her answer had to be. 

***** 

"I love you, Charlie." 

He smiled and held out his good arm to her, hand outstretched. She reached out to him and found herself in his arms, kissing him. They stayed that way, neither one willing to release the other. 

When they finally came up for air, Zoey asked, "So what happens now?" 

Charlie shrugged. "I don't know. I guess the best thing to do is to take it one day at a time. You think your dad will make us stop seeing each other?" 

"I don't know. Maybe. But I won't do it." She rested her head against his good shoulder and tried not to think that far ahead. "Are you scared?" 

"Of you?" 

"No." Zoey laughed. Charlie loved her laugh. "Are you scared that it could happen again?" 

"Maybe," Charlie answered. "Maybe a little. But that doesn't change anything, Zoey. There may always be somebody who doesn't want to see us together. The only thing that matters is that we want to be together. The rest of the world will have to get over it." 

Zoey was thoughtful. "So what do we tell our families?" 

"We tell them...we tell them that we're okay." 

  

For security purposes, Josh was placed in a private room as well equipped and monitored as any ICU. Jed and Abby found Donna right where Margaret had left her, sitting at Josh's bedside. She was dozing, having been up all night talking to and praying for her friend. 

Not wanting to startle the young woman, Abby knelt down next to the chair and put her hand on Donna's shoulder. "Donna," she whispered. 

Donna woke up instantly. "Josh?" 

"No, Donna. It's Abby Bartlet." 

"Oh my gosh." She leaned over and hugged the other woman. "When did you get here?" 

"Just now," Jed answered. At the sound of his voice, Donna jumped up and spun around to come face-to-face with the President. "Mr. President!" She began fidgeting with her clothes as if suddenly cognizant of the fact that she was wearing the same clothes she had on yesterday. She hadn't showered or washed her hair and her makeup was all but gone. "I'm sorry, sir. I must look a mess." 

"You're fine Donna. You look beautiful." He reached out to her and she gave him a brief hug. "How's our boy doing?" 

"The same. I've been trying to talk to him, to get him to wake up. I heard that if you talk to someone in a coma, it helps them, you know, find their way back from, you know, wherever it is that they are." 

"It's possible," Abby replied. She went over to check josh's chart and his monitors. Pleased at what she saw, she turned to the others. "It seems to be working." 

"Really?" Donna took one step forward. She suddenly became dizzy and began to sway. 

Jed caught her. "Whoa, Donna." He eased her into the chair, alarm written all over his face. 

Abby jumped into doctor mode. She grabbed the blood pressure cuff and stethoscope hanging near the bed. Grabbing the other chair in the room, she dragged it next to Donna and sat down. She placed the cuff on Donna's arm and began pumping. 

Donna started to protest, but Jed silenced her with a warning: "Never argue with Mrs. Bartlet when she's playing doctor." 

Abby ignored her husband. Satisfied with the reading, she began questioning the woman. "Donna, when was the last time you ate anything substantial?" 

"I had some cookies yesterday afternoon," she replied sheepishly. 

"Uh huh." 

"I'm fine. I just got a little dizzy." 

"Sure. Donna, you haven't eaten since lunch yesterday and I'd wager that you only had a salad then." Donna didn't argue, so Abby continued. "I'm going to have one of those cute Secret Service agents escort you down to the cafeteria for a sandwich, soup and something to drink other than coffee." When Donna began to open up her mouth, Abby put up a hand to silence her. "If you don't do this, I will ask the nice agent to drive you home and keep you there." 

Donna was on the verge of tears. "But what about Josh? I don't want to leave him alone. He shouldn't be alone." 

"He won't be alone," Jed answered. "We'll be here with him until you get back." 

Abby nodded in agreement. "If anything changes, I'll send someone for you. Now go. It won't do Josh any good to get out of this place only to have you admitted to the hospital yourself. He'd be helpless without you." 

For the first time in nearly twenty-four hours, she allowed herself to smile. "He would, wouldn't he? Would you tell him that? I keep trying to tell him but he never listens." She stood up and Jed eased an arm around her to steady her. 

"Donna, I'm giving you an order. You can't come back here until you've eaten everything on your plate," Jed said sternly. 

"You sound like my dad." 

"I'll take that as a compliment." 

"It is." She opened the door. Jed spoke briefly to Ron, who signaled for an agent to walk with Donna. 

***** 

Jed walked around the other side of the bed. He looked up at his wife. "How's he really doing?" 

"He's holding his own. He's still in a coma, but I think he's coming out of it." 

"Good. You know, I think she likes him." 

"Who?" 

"Donna. I think she has a crush on Josh." 

"Jed!" 

"Aw, come on, Abby. Tell me you don't see it." 

"Jed, that's ridiculous." 

"It is not!" 

"They're friends. She works for him for goodness sake." 

"So? Charlie works for me and he's dating our daughter. Danny and C.J. have the hots for each other. And Leo is completely apoplectic because Sam and Mallory have been trying to get a thing going." 

Abby was flabbergasted. "How do you know all this?" 

"Mrs. Landingham. She's a terrible gossip." 

"Jed!" 

He held up his hands defensively. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" 

"Really Jed. It's amazing you find time to run the country since you seem so intent on keeping up with West Wing wooing. 

"'West Wing wooing'?" he said with a laugh. 

"Say that five times really fast." 

"Not on your life."

  

  


	7. Family Affair 7

# A FAMILY AFFAIR, PART 7 

 

 

Jed looked down into the face of his Deputy Chief of Staff. "He looks so pale, Abby, so fragile," Jed commented. I’m used to him buzzing around like a pesky fly. I’ve never seen him so still. Even in his sleep, he twitches, like he’s still awake. Always thinking, always moving."

"He’s going to come out of it, Jed. He’ll be back to his old self in no time." Out of the corner of her eye, Abby noticed a flicker. Upon closer examination, she realized that Josh’s eyes were moving, almost as if he were blinking. "Josh?" she asked.

"Abby, what’s wrong? What’s the matter?"

Abby ignored him. She grabbed Josh’s right hand with her left and began stroking his head with her free hand. She leaned near his ear and began whispering softly, "Josh? It’s Abby Bartlet. Can you hear me? Squeeze my hand, Josh. C’mon Josh. I know you can hear me."

She waited, then spoke again. "Joshua, it’s Abby. Listen to my voice. You’re safe. You’re in a hospital, but you’re safe. You’re going to be fine. You’re alright." She waited again. "Josh, come back to us. You’re safe. I know you can hear me. Now squeeze my hand. Squeeze it Josh."

Abby was about to say something else when she felt the slightest pressure on her hand. She looked up at Jed and smiled. "That’s great Josh. Squeeze my hand again." The pressure was a little more intense this time, but still very weak.

"That’s great Josh. Okay, now I want you to open your eyes. C’mon Josh, open up those beautiful baby blues for us."

Josh’s eyelids fluttered for a moment but it seemed to be too great an effort.

"You know," Jed said loudly, "of all the national parks, my favorite happens to be Shenandoah. It’s a great place to visit, up in the Blue Ridge mountains of Northern Virginia, where "The Waltons" grew up. It seems the Blue Ridge mountains form the eastern line of the Appalachian Mountains between Pennsylvania and Georgia."

Abby frowned and shot him one of those ‘what-do-you-think-you’re-doing’ looks. Jed held up his hand gave her a look that said ‘trust-me-I-know-what-I’m-doing’.

Jed continued. "The Shenandoah has one of those beautiful rivers flowing in the west. It also boasts Manssanutten Mountain, which happens to be forty miles long and stands between the river’s north and south forks. In addition to this spectacular beauty, there is an incredible amount of foliage to be found that will simply take your breath away. I have never seen such magnificent oak and maple trees in my life. Then there’s the rose azaleas, the jack-in-the-pulpits, the interrupted ferns, the lady slipper orchids and the British soldiers lichen. Now why we would have a plant on American soil protected by the National Parks Service called the British soldiers lichen is beyond me. However - "

"Shh-uhp."

"Come again?"

"Shuh…up…suhr."

Jed grinned. "Welcome back, Joshua."

  


	8. Family Affair 8

# A FAMILY AFFAIR, PART 8 

 

 

(Note: Single quotes (') indicate thoughts.)

Josh rolled his eyes and turned to look at Abby. "Thur-stee." His words were slurred, his tongue as thick as a sausage. He was grateful when Abby gave him a cup of cool water to sip.

His mind was still fuzzy. Had he been asleep? ‘In the Oval Office? Maybe. Maybe that’s why the President was droning on about one of those blasted parks. And what exactly were those British soldiers licking?’ That didn’t make sense either. Neither did the fact that Abby had given him some water. Why was she there? Were the soldiers licking her? ‘I’m too tired to think. I want to go back to sleep. Wait. She’s talking to me again. Gotta concentrate.’

"Stay with me Josh," Abby said.

‘Why? Where am I going?’

"Josh, do you know where you are?"

‘Are we lost? This was supposed to be a three hour tour.’ He tried to get his eyes to focus on something. They wouldn’t cooperate. So he tried his ears. They kept drifting between Abby’s voice and the beeping. Beeping? ‘Is my beeper going off? Gotta get that.’ He tried to move, but his body was dead weight. ‘Why can’t I get my beeper? Why won’t anyone shut it off? Donna. Where’s Donna? Shut off the damn beeper, Donna. Wait. That’s not my beeper. It sounds like those machines in the hospital. That’s it. I’m in a hospital.’

"Ho-spit’l," he finally answered.

"That’s right Josh," Abby said.

‘Hooray for me,’ Josh thought.

Abby asked another question. "Do you remember what happened?"

‘Hospitals are for sick people. Or dead people. My sister died in a hospital. Am I dying? I hurt too much. Maybe I am. God, my back is killing me…killing. They were trying to kill somebody.’

"Somebody…trying to…kill us…" Memories of the events were starting to crystallize. "I was shot." It was a question that came out as a statement.

"Yes. You were shot in the back. But you’re going to be fine," Abby said.

‘Fine. Why does she keep saying that? Why won’t she make it stop?’

"Stop what, Josh?"

‘Did I say that out loud?’ "Stop…itching."

"What’s itching?"

"Foot."

Abby turned and exclaimed, "Jed!"

  


	9. Family Affair 9

# A FAMILY AFFAIR, PART 9 

 

 

Donna sat at the table in the cafeteria picking at her sandwich. She knew she needed to eat. She supposed she could lie to the President, but she knew Abby would see right through it. ‘Oh well,’ she thought, ‘might as well get it over with.’ She picked up the sandwich when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at the agent who had escorted her to the cafeteria.

"Ms. Moss? You need to come with me."

"Why?"

"It’s Mr. Lyman."

She jumped up and ran for the door, all thoughts of food forgotten.

Gina burst into Charlie’s room, only to find he and Zoey deep in conversation. Startled at the sudden intrusion, they turned, Zoey automatically gripping Charlie’s hand tighter.

"What is it? What’s wrong?" Zoey asked fearfully.

Gina broke into a broad grin. "It’s Josh."

C.J. ran into Danny’s office beaming. "Josh," she said breathlessly. "Josh. He’s going to be okay. He’s going to be alright!"

Danny grinned back at her but didn’t say a word. He got up and scooped C.J. up in his arms and spun her around. She held on and leaned in to kiss him. And for once, she didn’t care who saw them.

Margaret burst into Leo’s office where he, Sam, Toby and Mandy were in the midst of a heated discussion. "I’m sorry to interrupt," she began, "but I thought you’d like to know that Josh is awake and his foot itches."

"What?" Leo barked.

"His foot itches. He wiggled his toes, Leo!"

"Great. Thank you Margaret." Leo looked as if he could care less. He signaled to Margaret to leave. As she closed the door, she heard whoops of joy and high fives coming from the senior staff.

When she heard the news, Mrs. Landingham excused herself from her desk and slipped into the Oval Office. He sat down on a couch and pulled off her glasses. For the first time since this nightmare had begun, she began to cry. Her tears of joy were mixed with whispered prayers of thanksgiving to God.

As the news of Josh’s condition spread throughout the West Wing, papers went flying, kisses and hugs were plenteous, and smiles were everywhere. The heavy cloud of depression had been lifted and joyous light burst through, filling everyone with a renewed sense of faith, hope and love.


	10. Epilogue

# A FAMILY AFFAIR, Epilogue 

 

 

(Note: This has truly been a labor of love. Hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. There's more to come so stay tuned. And I must add, I love Aaron Sorkin! I borrowed from his magical pen to finish this up; there's a tribute to my favorite episode - guess what it is! :) Oh yeah, I finally got to see Allison Janney do "The Jackal"; she gets an honorable mention here! -Donna)

It had been a month since the shootings and everything was almost back to normal. And yet, some things had changed.

Zoey was initially reluctant to return to school. But Charlie wouldn’t hear of it. As soon as he was discharged, his first order of business was to escort Zoey to school. He convinced her that hiding wouldn’t change things. She agreed to go back and never again questioned Gina’s instructions. She carried her panic button with her at all times and it was never far from her reach. She still came back to the White House on weekends, but often she would decide to spend more time with her father when he was in town. She had even decided to enroll in a summer math class, much to her father’s delight.

Jed and Charlie’s relationship had changed also. Jed had read Charlie’s statement to the FBI and had learned from Gina how the young man had tried to protect Zoey by pushing her away and getting her to safety. Jed was thoroughly impressed by Charlie’s loyalty to his daughter. He told Abby that if Zoey and Charlie were ever to seriously consider marriage, he would be proud to have Charlie as a son-in-law. Jed meant that and Abby wholeheartedly agreed.

Jed and Charlie had a long conversation regarding what happened. Like Zoey, Charlie blamed himself for the shootings. He had never really believed that their relationship would endanger anyone. Now that he knew the threats were real, Charlie was prepared to turn in his resignation (believing that without him being a constant presence in the President’s entourage, the danger to anyone else would be minimized) - but he wasn’t going to stop seeing Zoey. Jed had staunchly refused the resignation. In fact, he had done the exact opposite.

Jed encouraged Charlie to pursue Zoey - and his college education. Jed pulled a few strings and arranged to have Charlie enroll in Howard University’s online educational program. When he wasn’t performing his duties, Charlie could be found participating in classes, studying or writing papers for submission. Jed was secretly delighted to know that Charlie and Zoey’s dates wound up being study sessions.

Another aspect of Charlie’s personality had changed. In his earliest days with the President, he had been quiet and unassuming. Now, he began to open up, offering his opinions on whatever issue that may have been put before the President. And while Charlie appreciated Jed’s sense of humor, he also found himself in the midst of thought-provoking discussions on racism, drugs or education. Charlie soon found he could hold his own with any member of the senior staff. They in turn began to acknowledge and value Charlie’s opinions and insights.

Not long after his reconciliation with Jenny, Leo found himself in the same rut as before: working too hard and ignoring his wife. When Mallory pointed this fact out to her father, Leo immediately corrected himself. He decided to court Jenny, often sending her flowers throughout the day for no reason. He made a concerted effort to really listen when she talked about her day and her interests. He even planned to give her a belated anniversary present: a two week cruise in the Caribbean. He also tried to include her on some of his trips with the President, making sure to take time to have either lunch or dinner with her..

With a little help and encouragement from Abby, Jenny also began making an effort to spend time with Leo. She would conspire with Margaret to get Leo alone at lunch. If he was too swamped to get away, Jenny would surprise him with a picnic lunch or supper in his office.

Jenny had also convinced Leo to ease off of Sam. Leo could only see heartache ahead for his daughter, as Sam led nearly the same type of life that he had. But as Jenny pointed out to him, they had survived through tough times. As much as Leo wanted to, he couldn’t protect their daughter if she didn’t want to be protected.

As for Sam and Mallory, they continued to stumble their way towards a relationship. Sam was still Sam: arrogant, vain, funny. But he allowed himself to trust Mallory. And with that trust, he began to show her a very tender and vulnerable side that few people ever saw. He genuinely wanted to make this relationship work and he was willing to try anything. He even memorized facts about the White House and gave Mallory a private tour, which she found utterly charming and delightful.

C.J.’s relationship with Danny finally got off the ground. Somehow they had managed to find a place to keep their work separate from their personal lives. It wasn’t easy; on more than one occasion, one or the other had stormed out on a date because of professional differences. But eventually the storm would blow over and they’d find themselves starting over again.

Toby reached out to reconcile with his brother. He and David had even managed to get away for a long weekend for a mini family reunion. Toby was pleasantly surprised when Andrea asked if she could join them. Since the shooting, she had tried to keep a reasonable distance from her ex, but the bond that they shared kept drawing her closer to his side. Toby found that he welcomed the attention.

Josh had been discharged ten days after the shooting. He had to undergo major physical therapy, but he was determined to move on with his life. Within a week of his discharge, he was back at work doing half days, Joey and Donna both right by his side. They nurtured, cajoled, encouraged and supported him through his entire recovery, pushing him to get back to normal. Josh and Joey’s potential romance was put on hold for the time being; but their friendship deepened more than Josh ever thought possible and he was grateful. He yearned for more, but he was glad that Joey was allowing things to progress naturally.

Josh also found a formidable ally in Donna. They still sniped at each other and nit-picked, but Josh knew that Donna would go to the ends of the earth with him and he would do the same for her. He was constantly amazed by her. Her sweet gentleness would often give way to a quiet strength that Josh had never noticed before. When anyone pushed Josh - especially Leo - Donna would push back. Hard.

The one casualty to the staff was Mandy. In her time with the Vice President, she had found him to be incredibly receptive to her skills. Additionally, because of her unique position within the Bartlet administration, she was able to help John Hoynes find a better working relationship with the President. She proved to be an invaluable asset to Hoynes, and he offered her a position as his Chief of Staff. With Jed’s blessings, Mandy decided to move on.

Jed had arranged for a special dinner to be held in honor of everyone that had worked so hard to help his administration survive such a major crisis. It was a celebration of sorts, and Jed was bursting with joy.

Everyone was in fine spirits. Leo and Jenny were schmoozing with Jed and Abby. Charlie was trying to convince Josh to finally ask Joey out on a date. Josh was still using a cane, but his mobility was almost back to normal. Meanwhile, Zoey was trying to set Donna up on a date with the Secret Service agent that had been her escort to the hospital cafeteria. C.J., Danny and Andrea were trying to persuade Toby on the merits of a ski trip to Aspen. And Mallory was trying to convince Sam that her father was not setting him up to write birthday greetings for every member of the Cabinet, Congress and the Joint Chiefs.

After the sumptuous meal, Jed rose to speak. "It’s been a great evening. I mean how could it not be with the appearance of ‘The Jackal’?" C.J. blushed as the crowd broke into applause and hoots and hollers.

After the noise died down, Jed continued. "I won’t ruin our evening with a long, boring speech."

"Amen."

"You’re fired, Leo," Jed muttered as the room broke up into laughter. When it subsided, he went on. "You have no idea how good it feels to look across this room and see all the members of our little family together again. This last month has been trying for all of us, some more than others. We’ve recovered from our physical injuries, but the emotional scars are still healing.

"For some of us, this last month has been a test: a test of faith, a test of courage, a test of love. For the some, it’s been a test of strength and character. I believe that our being here together tonight says that we have passed those tests with flying colors. But the ultimate test is yet to come.

"Next week, we begin the first in what I hope will become a series of meetings across the country where people of various races, religions and ideologies will come together to have open and frank discussions about what makes us different…and why we’re all the same. It will be heated, that’s for sure. And nothing will be resolved in one night. But it is my hope - my prayer - that everyone who attends will walk away with a better understanding of our sameness and a greater tolerance for our differences.

"For the first time since that awful night a month ago, we are going out once again to meet the people that we have chosen to serve. I know it won’t be easy, but I know we cannot hide behind the walls of this house if we are to continue on as public servants."

Jed was about to speak again, when he saw Charlie rise from his seat, Zoey at his side. He lifted his glass and said, "Mr. President, it is my honor to stand with you."

Josh stood up also, Donna at his side. "I-," began, when Donna gently swatted him on the arm, "we - are will stand with you, Mr. President."

C.J. was next. "I stand with the President of the United States."

Sam chimed in, "I stand with President Bartlet."

Toby stood next. "I stand with the President."

Leo was last. He shrugged and grinned at his old friend. "I serve at the pleasure of the President."

As one everyone stood and lifted his or her glass. Abby reached for her glass and handed Jed his. She couldn’t stop the tears from forming in her eyes at this incredible display of loyalty. "I’ll always stand with you, Jed."

Jed was humbled. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Thank you," he managed to get out. "Thank you one and all." Everyone shared in the unexpected toast.

Jed found his voice again. "There’s just one more piece of business." He paused for effect.

"Let’s party!"

The End


End file.
